WESTERN PARK BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1929, Page 3

WESTERN PARK BOARD

-ANNUAL MEETING HELD. FIRST IN SEVEN YEARS. Afj it was seven years since the Western Park Board lield its last ’‘annual” meeting, the secretary found some difficulty in discovering the minutes of the, 1922 meeting when the board met last night. Consequently the chairman, Mr. F. Hartnell, gave a resume of the work that had been carried out during the interval. The sportsground, he said, had been enlarged by relief work, some of which had been performed by the Returned Soldiers’ Association, who had sent a few of their unemployed member,s to the park for intervals which sometimes extended to two weeks. Later the board had utilised its accumulated revenue in building the long stone wall. One set of gates had been presented by the late Mrs. Honeyfield and the board had erected the other set. The clay cycling track had been laid down and was frequently used by cyclists. Besides the sportsgronnd there were two playing areas, the bowling green and croquet ground, which, however, came only indirectly under the control of the board. The West End Croquet Club, which bad been granted the lease of the ground about five years ago, had been paying a 'small rental for the last two years. Speaking of the future of the park, Mr. Hartnell said it would be necessary to thin out some of the trees which had been -planted somewhat thickly in the early days. With the exception of the One Tree Hill reserve in Auckland, Western Park was probably the only reserve which commanded such a complete view of a whole town. It was the highest point in the borough. The balance-sheet, which was compiled with, some difficulty owing to the lapse of years since the • last one appeared, showed the assets at £5320 9s Id, while the excess of income over expenditure totalled £3BO 8s lid. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. After a short discussion it was decided that all those present at the meeting should be elected to the committee. The officers for'the ensuing year w : ll thus be: President, Mr. F. Hartnell; 'secretary, Mr. F. J. Hill; committee, Messrs. W. Morris, J. R. Sceates, V. Elliott, L. H. Honeyfield, R. J. Deare, J. Lobb, J. S. S. Medley, J. G. Barthorp, T. McPhillips, W. Shepherd, J. W Darby, R. Ellis, D. Hull and G. A. Corney. It was agreed to hold a meeting of the committee on the fourth Thursday of every alternate month. Mr. Medley pointed out that the subsidy from tlie Borough' Council; which amounted to £75, seemed small in comparison with the utility of the park. He thought the council perhaps might see its way to increase it during the next year. ' The question of providing a small building in which the caretaker . might keep his tools was raised by Mr. Hartnell and it was agreed to eerct some kina of shed. Votes of thanks were accorded the outgoing secretary, Mr. Honeyfield, Messrs. Rollo and Millar for a donation, and all those who had in previous years helped to raise money for the park by acting as gate-keepers.